Route 48 road work underway

Route 48 roadwork in Southold has begun and is scheduled to be completed by spring 2019, according to Gilbert Anderson, commissioner of public works for Suffolk County.

The 18-month project costs $5.9 million and will begin and end in the vicinities of Hortons Lane and Goldin Lane. The project consists of pavement repair and resurfacing, new pavement markings, drainage system replacement, sidewalk and curb upgrades and traffic signal replacements.

Mr. Anderson said that there shouldn’t be any detours between Memorial Day and Labor Day next year, but during the non-summer months, there will occasionally be detours needed.

“Certainly we will have signage up that will advise drivers when we’re planning on doing any detouring so it shouldn’t be a total shock,” Mr. Anderson said. “Any construction can be a problem. On the North Fork, you really have two main roads. If one’s down the other one is going to be more congested.”

He added that detours would not be needed for a few weeks. A notice was sent out to residents in June advising them to remove any landscape or hardscape objects between the existing roadway and the highway boundary. The notice also warned of possible lane shifts and parking restrictions during constructions, but said that notice will be posted the night before.

“We’re going to try to minimize that as best we can,” he added. “The best we can do is get the construction work done as quickly as possible so everything can return to normal and that’s our goal.”

There will also be a reconfiguration of the traffic circle on Boisseau Avenue. There will no longer be an eastbound merging lane from Boisseau onto Route 48. Instead, a normal right turn will be necessary to get onto the county road.